Beyond Business Travel has welcomed the Irish government’s decision to progress legislation aimed at removing the passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
It believes that unrestricted access to Dublin Airport is crucial for facilitating international business engagements, furthering Ireland’s economic growth and strengthening its position as a global business hub.
Currently capped at 32 million passengers a year, the cap was imposed by local planners in 2007 as a condition of allowing airport operator DAA to build a second terminal at the airport.
Airlines including Aer Lingus and Ryanair have historically opposed the cap, with Airlines for America arguing that the passenger limit breaches the EU-USA Open Skies Agreement.
After taking office in January, Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien announced that he had sought the advice of Attorney General Rossa Fanning to resolve the row through legislation.
He recently confirmed he has secured Cabinet sign-off to begin the process of drafting legislation to remove the cap, with the aim of achieving this by the end of next year.
He also said that DAA would progress its planning application for the development of a suite of infrastructure projects that will facilitate growth and future-proof Dublin Airport.
Shauna Burns, Managing Director of Beyond Business Travel, said:“This development is a significant step towards enhancing Ireland’s connectivity and supporting not only the growth of the business travel sector, but the wider economy as a whole.
“From a travel perspective, we anticipate that removing the passenger cap will lead to increased flight options, reduced expenses and enhanced efficiency for businesses operating both domestically and internationally.”
